


Start As You Mean To Go

by Nevermore_red



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot, new years eve fic, not quite smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 21:16:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17251535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevermore_red/pseuds/Nevermore_red
Summary: Sandor sits at home to ring in another new year on his own. Sansa has other plans in mind.





	Start As You Mean To Go

Grabbing a cold glass bottle from the fridge, Sandor made his way into the living room and dropped into his easy chair. Grabbing the remote off the end table, he flipped on the tv and scanned Netflix until he landed on a new crime documentary. It would suffice. Cracking open the bottle in his hand, a faint longing for it to be booze or whiskey scratching his throat, he took a drink of the fancy ass sparkling water. It was December 31st and he had no other plans tonight but to zone out on crap tv and go to sleep at a fairly decent hour. As a paramedic on an ambulance, he was just starting his three day off stint, which was nice since tonight was always a stupidly busy night. For a brief moment early today before he'd gotten off work, he thought he might be upset that he didn't have anywhere to go. Sitting in a crowded bar listening to shite music while people talked about their resolutions they really had no intentions of keeping and how awful the past year was didn't sound like a good time to him, anyway. Especially since he didn't drink anymore.

There was always that sting of longing, that little part of him that wouldn't be silenced, that thought that maybe this year would be different. Maybe he'd actually get off his fucking nuts and tell Sansa Stark how he felt. He'd considered asking her what her plans were when he'd stopped in at the ER she worked at to drop off a patient they'd picked up complaining of chest pains. As always, she'd looked terrific in her pale green scrubs and plaited hair. She'd smiled at him and they'd talked a bit, but he never got the courage for anything more. Besides, she probably had big plans with her friends or family. They'd do what all those high class people did and dress to the nines in glitter and tuxes and eat fancy finger foods and drink champagne and listen to that awful song that made no sense and share sweet kisses at the stroke of midnight. A man like Sandor Clegane wasn't made for things like that.

The murder documentary was actually pretty good and he successfully zoned out for almost two hours. When it ended, he checked his phone and saw that it was only ten o'clock. Heaving a sigh, he hauled himself out of his chair and went to the bathroom to piss. Deciding not to put his jeans back on, he yanked his long sleeve shirt off as well before going back into the kitchen. Tossing a bag of popcorn in the microwave, he dug around in the fridge until he found the Ghirardelli chocolates he hid from himself in the back. He figured that since it was New Years Eve he could indulge a little. Unwrapping the small square, he leaned against he counter and took a bite of the corner while he waited for his popcorn to be finished. But then his doorbell rang.

"Who the fuck?" he grumbled to himself before sitting the rest of the chocolate on the counter to enjoy after sending whoever the hell was at his door away. Not bothering to redress, he went to the front door and jerked it open just as the person on the other side was lifting their hand to knock.

"Oh." Sansa Stark, in the living flesh and wearing a pair of pink snow boots over her leggings with a puffy down coat wrapped tightly around her neck, stared back at him with cold flushed cheeks. Then her eyes slid down the length of his body before flying back to his face. She quickly licked her lips before putting on a smile. "Hello."

"Hi." he said dumbly. "What...what are you doing here?"

Sansa sniffed delicately and wrapped her arms around herself, the canvas tote in her hand bouncing against her hip. "I'd meant to ask you at the hospital earlier, but then there was the code blue and I didn't get a chance. I saw Beric just before getting off work and he said you didn't have plans and would be home all night and I just thought..." she held out the hand that was holding the tote. "I brought lemon cakes!"

Realizing that he was leaving her standing on his stoop in the middle of the night when it was freezing cold, Sandor finally shook himself and stepped back to let her in. When she brushed past him and her chilly coat brushed against his abdomen, he remembered he was wearing only boxers.

"Uh, have a seat." he motioned to the living room. "I'll be right back."

Hurrying back to his bedroom, he yanked on a pair of dark green lounge pants and a white tee shirt. When he got back into the living room, he found Sansa sitting on the edge of the sofa. Her coat was removed and draped over the arm of the sofa, her snow boots sitting neatly side by side next to the front door. And there was no lights on in the living room.

"Let me get the light." he flipped the switch so the overhead light came on and Sansa smiled brightly at him and for a moment he just stood there, staring at her sitting on his sofa. Her feet were covered in absurdly cute fuzzy socks that were the same purple as the loose sweater she wore. He could also tell that she was a little uncomfortable sitting so stiffly on the very edge of the sofa while her hands held the tote bag.

"You brought lemon cakes?" he motioned towards the bag and she relaxed her stiff posture to lift the bag into her lap and pull out a plastic container of the sweets.

"I did." she said proudly. "I make them myself and, not to brag, but they are rather good."  

"How well do they pair with popcorn?" he tipped his head in the direction of the kitchen. "I just made some." 

"I'm sure they'd pair lovely." she rose and followed him into the kitchen. He pulled down a bowl for the popcorn and two plates for the lemon cakes. After pulling the popcorn from the microwave, he turned to find her filling the plates with two small cakes each. 

"No big plans for tonight?" he asked casually as he dumped the popcorn out. Sansa shot him a mischievous looking grin, then started digging through the tote she had sat on the counter. She came back up with a sparkly tiara that said Happy New Year and a plastic top hat that said the same thing. She arranged the tiara on her head before plopping the top hat on his and going back to the tote. Sandor tipped the hat further back on his head since it was a little too small on him and watched as she produced two of those annoyingly loud noise makers that you blew in with shiny foil wrapped around them. She blew in hers, then giggled happily before handing him the other.

"If you're amiable, I'd like for my big plans tonight to include eating lemon cakes and popcorn while watching some movies until midnight. It's my first new years eve off since I started working at the hospital, and I'd really just rather do something chill." 

"Yeah." Sandor nodded. "Yeah, sure." trying not to seem overly enthusiastic, he picked up the popcorn bowl and leveled her with stare. "Just no romcom bullshit." 

Sansa laughed, picking up each of the plates before heading back into the living room. 

They eventually settled on watching Black Mirror and to his surprise she tugged him over to the sofa to sit next to her so they could share the popcorn easier. When it grew close to midnight, Sansa talked him into turning the tv on to watch the ball drop. She even scrambled off the sofa to retrieve their discarded new years head pieces and the noise makers. She rejoined him on the sofa, enthusiastically joining in with the countdown on tv. Sandor grinned while watching her, enjoying the simple joy she was exuding and in awe that she chose him to spend this occasion with. He'd actually lost track of the count until she turned to him with a huge smile, and blew on the noise maker. Sandor, not looking away from her, lifted his to his mouth and gave it a brief blow to Sansa's enjoyment. 

"Happy New Year, Sandor." she took his noise maker from his hand and scooted even closer to him so that their thighs were pressed tightly to one another. Sandor swallowed, remembering the custom of kisses at midnight, and lifted an unsure hand to place on the side of her face. She didn't pull away from him, just smiled softly and lifted her face up towards his, hands coming up to press against his chest. Leaning down, the sounds of fireworks on tv still going off, Sandor pressed his lips to hers gently. He could feel her smile against his mouth before pressing back into the kiss. Then her lips parted just a tiny bit and he could feel the wet heat of her breath against him before he let the tip of his tongue touch her bottom lip. And then she was moaning a little, drawing his tongue further into her mouth and taking the breath from his lungs. She kissed him until his head spun, and he couldn't remember why he'd ever put off saying anything to her.

"Do you believe in superstition?" Sansa asked when they parted, staying close to him and toying with the hair at his neck.

Sandor blinked, head still clouded with desire. "What?"

"The whole start as you mean to go thing?" she went on. "Do you believe it?"

"If it means you'll kiss me like that for the rest of the year, then hell yeah I believe it." his fingers threaded into the back of her scalp to cup her head.

Sansa laughed, shifting herself so that she was perched on his lap. Sandor let his hands slide down to hold her hips. "Sounds like a wonderful year."

"We could make it better." he nearly growled, tugging on her hips so that she rolled fully into his lap, her gasp a breathy noise that went straight down his spine. "If you want."

"I want." she whispered, fingers trailing along his jawline. "Now take me to bed, Sandor Clegane. We can ring in the new year properly."

Not one to hesitate at a good offer, Sandor tightened his hold and rose to his feet. Keeping her tight to his chest, he carried her back to his bedroom and crawled onto the bed with her. When he finally managed to free his mouth of hers, they were both wearing far fewer clothes and breathing hard.

"Happy New Year, Sansa." he rasped against her throat before sliding further down her body, intent on making it the best damn new year she ever had. 


End file.
